Budgie by Joseph Coelho

Miles loves climbing the trees by his estate, but his neighbour Mr Buxton constantly shouts at him to stop. Miles and his friends always speed away from him on their bikes. One day, Miles finds a frail little budgie outside their tower block, and takes it home to look after it. It’s beautiful – with a bright yellow head and soft green tummy. Miles names him Pippin. And it’s thanks to Pippin that Miles ends up talking to Mr Buxton and discovering that they have a lot in common…

This moving and lyrical story is pitched perfectly at young readers. It is short and accessible, yet full of empathy and compassion, with beautiful illustrations. Pippin shines brightly out of the artwork, echoing the brightness he brings to everyone’s lives.

This delightful addition to the Little Gems series has lots of blank space on each page, a special dyslexia-friendly font and thick paper so that the text and artwork don’t show through the page. It also has facts about budgies on the front inner cover and a spot the difference game on the back inner cover. There is effortless diverse inclusion in the cast of characters, too. Perfect for readers who are just taking flight independently.